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Czech MPs vote to dissolve lower house, triggering early elections

Czech MPs have voted to dissolve the lower house, triggering early elections. Deputies from the Social Democrats, the Communist Party, TOP 09 and some smaller groupings raised their hands for the motion, which was carried by 140 votes, exceeding the necessary three-fifths majority in the 200-seat lower house. It was the first time that the Czech lower house had voted for its own dissolution.

Under the constitution, early elections now have to be held within 60 days of President Miloš Zeman formally dissolving Parliament. The president has indicated that he would like to see the nation go to the polls on October 25 and 26.

A caretaker cabinet appointed by Mr. Zeman is serving in demise, after failing to win a confidence vote last week. The president installed the interim government in the wake of the collapse of the previous right-of-centre government headed by the Civic Democrats’ Petr Nečas.

Právo: Klaus to join forces with Sovereignty party

Former Czech president Václav Klaus will return to politics by joining forces with the small Sovereignty party, Právo has reported, adding that the new grouping will be known as Václav Klaus’s Sovereignty. For her part, the founder of Sovereignty, Jana Bobošíková, said on Tuesday that they were interested in cooperating with Mr. Klaus but that he was not going to “join the party”. The group, which has no seats in the lower house, is known for its anti-EU and nationalist policies. On Monday, a close associate of the ex-president, Ladislav Jakl, denied that Mr. Klaus was planning a political comeback.

Support for Civic Democrats down to only 6 percent, suggests poll

The Civic Democrats, once the dominant party on the Czech right, now have only 6 percent support, suggests an opinion poll carried out this month by the ppm factum agency. The survey also indicates that backing for the traditional biggest left-wing party, the Social Democrats, is at 21 percent, lower than in a number of previous polls. Among the other parties, right wingers TOP 09 have 10 percent backing, according to the research; the Communists have 9 percent; and President Zeman’s Citizens’ Rights Party–Zemanites and businessman Andrej Babiš’s ANO are both on 5 percent, which is the threshold for entering the Chamber of Deputies.

Local Civic Democrats recommend Nagyová quits party

A local branch of the Civic Democrats has recommended that Jana Nagyová consider quitting the party. However, the Prague 13 constituency group stopped short of expelling Ms. Nagyová, who is the girlfriend of former party leader Petr Nečas and faces criminal charges in connection with a scandal that helped bring down Mr. Nečas’s government. Meanwhile, Civic Democrat MP Jana Černochová said the Prague leadership of the party would expel Ms. Nagyová if the former chief of cabinet’s local branch did not do so before a regional meeting.

Police shoot dead man suspected of taking ex-girlfriend hostage

Police in the town of Jirkov in north Bohemia on Monday night shot dead a man who was holding a hostage, a spokesperson for the local force said. The man is reported to have held his victim, believed to be his former girlfriend, for two days and threatened to kill her. Police said they had suspected the man of rape, deprivation of liberty, blackmail and hostage taking. The case is now being investigated by the police’s internal affairs agency.

Czech transferred to remand prison in India over murder of girlfriend

After an investigation lasting almost a fortnight, a court in India has transferred a 19-year-old Czech man charged with murdering his girlfriend to a remand prison. The body of the woman, who was 24, was found with multiple cuts and stab wounds in a hotel room at the resort of Goa that she had shared with the man. He initially claimed that the pair had been kidnapped, and faked injuries to himself, before confessing to the killing.

Road death numbers in first seven months lowest since 1970

The number of road deaths in the first seven months of 2013 was the lowest for the period since 1970, according to figures just released by the Czech police. Between the start of January and the end of July this year, a total of 315 people met their deaths in accidents on the country’s roads, 60 fewer than in the same period in 2012. Of those who died this year, 120 were car drivers, 57 pedestrians, 49 car passengers, 35 motorcyclists, 32 cyclists, 12 truck drivers and six truck passengers.

Glen Hansard returns with Prague Castle show

Irish singer Glen Hansard is due to perform on the terrace at Prague Castle’s Riding School on Tuesday night. Hansard, who is promoting his first solo album Rhythm and Repose, will be backed by members of The Frames, the band that he has led for over two decades. The musician, who is 43, won an Oscar with the Czech singer Markéta Irglová for the song Falling Slowly and has been a regular visitor to the Czech Republic for many years. Tuesday’s show, which is part of a new initiative to bring live music to Prague Castle, is sold out.

Plzeň preparing to face Maribor in first leg of Champions League playoff

Viktoria Plzeň will welcome the Slovenian side Maribor on Tuesday evening in the first leg of a tie to decide a place in world soccer’s biggest club competition the Champions League. The second leg will take place in Slovenia on Wednesday next week. The West Bohemian club first reached the Champions League in 2011, the same year they won the Czech league for the first time, and last season topped a Europa League group that included Italy’s Napoli.

7:0 defeat to Teplice worst day of career, says Slavia’s veteran goalie Černý

Highly experienced goalkeeper Radek Černý has described Slavia’s 7:0 home drubbing at the hands of Teplice on Monday evening as the worst day of his footballing life. Černý, who is 39 and spent eight years in England with Tottenham Hotspur and Queen’s Park Rangers, told the website Sport.cz that he and his teammates could only pray for the match to end as Slavia fell apart in the second half. No home team had previously lost by such a score-line in the decade since the foundation of the Czech league.

Weather

It should be cloudy with sunny spells in the coming days. Temperatures will reach up to 26 degrees Celsius.